Raventongue
by Kalaia
Summary: Instead of Mo reading out Dustfinger, Capricorn, and Basta, someone beats him to it. Someone by the name of Jane.
1. In Which Joe Disappears

** Chapter 1: In Which Joe Disappears **

** "Twinkle, twinkle little bat How I wonder what you're at! **

** Up above the world you fly, Like a tea-tray in the sky" **

** - The Mad Hatter, **_**Alice's Adventures in Wonderland**_

The candles on Jane's desk flickered slightly as a breeze drifted lazily through the room. Jane herself was reading. She loved books almost more

than anything. It was early in the evening- only 8 o'clock, but it was getting dark. Jane glanced up from the book she was reading, _The Hound of _

_the Baskervilles_, to watch the bats flit through the sky. Her eyes followed their graceful movements and she listened to the comforting clicks they

emitted. That was her favorite part of summer. The bats.

A knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts. Jane put down her book and carefully blew out the candles. She stood in front of her window

another moment, pausing to watch the bats, then walked downstairs. Jane wondered who would visit her at eight o'clock at night. She peered

through the eyehole and allowed an amused grin to spread across her face. She swung the door open.

"What are you doing here?" Jane asked.

"I was bored. Thought maybe you wouldn't mind my company," said her boyfriend of three months.

She grinned. "The bats are out."

Joe shuddered. "I'll never understand your love for those flying rats."

Jane's grin transformed into a frown. "They're not rats! I've told you Joe, they're not even rodents."

He just shook his head. "Can I come in, or have I offended you too much for one evening?" he added with an impish grin.

Jane rolled her eyes. He always teased her about her love for animals. "Alright, come on."

* * *

A few minutes later, they were sitting in her living room, both sipping some lemonade. Jane put her cup down. She studied Joe. "So what did you

have in mind when you came over here?"

He licked his lips, pausing to take another sip. "Hmm…I really don't know." He paused for another moment. "Why don't you read to me, Jane?" he

asked, his eyes sparkling. "You always did have such a lovely reading voice."

Jane crossed her arms, a brief look of worry crossing her brow. She hadn't told him about the strange things that had started to happen when

she read aloud. "Alright," she said reluctantly. "What do you want me to read?"

He pursed his lips, thinking. "What about that old book you found, the one you were raving about last week…what was it called…Inkheart?"

It was true that Inkheart had quickly become one of her favorite books in the past week. She briefly wondered what would happen if one of her…

accidents, happened while reading from _that _book. She shrugged it off. So far, nothing live had come out of any of her books. She didn't think

anything would be different about this one.

"Alright," she said, and stood to fetch Inkheart from her bedroom. A few minutes later, she was reading.

Joe closed his eyes. He always did enjoy when Jane read to him. Her voice was almost magical, like it could bring the book alive. His eyes shot

open when he noticed something different about what he was sitting on. What he found completely surprised him. He wasn't in Jane's living room

anymore. He didn't even think he was in the same world. He supposed it had something to do with the fairy tugging at his hair.

* * *

**Next Chapter:...We find out who came out of the book...**


	2. In Which Dustfinger Appears

**Chapter 2: In Which Basta, Capricorn, and Dustfinger Appear**

**"Curiouser and curiouser!"**

**-Alice, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart, nor most of the scene when Capricorn, Basta, and Dustfinger first appear. I do however own my character and her influence.**

* * *

Jane nearly dropped her book when she saw three men suddenly appear in her living room. She didn't move, didn't speak, nothing. She just sat

there, her jaw hanging slightly open, staring in shock at the trio of men. Once her mind began to work again, she realized that something

seemed somewhat familiar about them. She glanced down at her book. Surely not?

One of the men, a reddish-blond haired man with three scars across his face, was being held by his collar, as if being reprimanded. The other man,

not the one holding the scarred one, was dressed in red. It was then that she noticed the two swords the men had. It was also then that she

realized without a doubt who these strangers must be. There was no more question in her mind as to who they were. After all, Dustfinger, Basta,

and Capricorn looked exactly as she had pictured them.

A few seconds later, the newly read out characters seemed to realize that they weren't in Inkworld anymore. Basta pushed Dustfinger away from

him, so hard he fell to the floor. They looked confused…and more than a bit frightened. Jane noticed that all three looked pale and slightly weak-

like they weren't fully in the new world yet. She supposed it must be stressful on the body to pass through worlds.

Basta dropped his sword. Capricorn didn't seem much better. He was staggering slightly, like he'd drunk just a little too much at a party. A

memory flashed through Jane's head, prompting her to pick up the sword that Basta had dropped. She had remembered how dangerous the two

had been in the book. She held it out in front of her when Capricorn staggered toward her. She hoped she wouldn't actually have to use it. Joining

fencing club in college was one thing. Stabbing someone was very different.

"I don't want to hurt you," Jane said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Don't be alarmed," she continued, drawing upon the calming voice

she used around animals. It was all she could do at the moment. She herself was a bit confused and scared. "You just came from that book,"

Jane said, motioning to the book that was now on the couch. Capricorn's eyes flitted to it for a brief second, then went on to staring at her with

his pale eyes. Jane kept a careful eye on Basta, who was fingering his dagger. She didn't bother trying to keep track of Dustfinger. He was

harmless enough. "I read you out of it. You may want to-"

"That's enough talk," Capricorn interrupted. "Never mind how we arrived in this miserable place. Now send us back, you accursed witch, or Basta

will cut that tongue out of your mouth."

Jane didn't doubt that. She picked the book up. Perhaps rereading it would put them back? She tried it…nothing…she tried it again…nothing. The

two men standing glared at her. Jane glanced quickly down at the sword she'd put down to pick up the book. This wasn't working. They would

probably kill her. Jane lunged for the sword, Basta quickly following suit. She was a little faster though, and quickly brought up the sword, keeping

it between her and Basta's knife. He cursed. Jane slashed at him a little bit, just to show that she meant business, then advanced towards them

both, driving them toward the front door. Both continued to curse her. Capricorn looked absolutely furious. Eventually, Jane got them out of the

door, and watched as they stumbled out into the night.

She brushed some hair out of her eyes. Once she could no longer see them, she re-entered the house, locking the door behind her. She

remembered that Dustfinger was still in her living room.

Dustfinger gazed around the room, both curiously and frightened. This room was so odd, too odd. What was that odd black box that looked like it

was both glass…and some hard material he couldn't identify. And those pictures…they were too real. Surely no artist was that skilled?

"Hello?" a female voice said, startling him, and causing him to whirl around quickly, Gwin almost falling off his shoulder. He twittered at him angrily.

Jane looked at Dustfinger curiously. It wasn't every day that you got to meet your favorite character. His pale blue eyes stared at her. He looked…

scared.

"Please," he whispered, "don't kill me! I have nothing to do with those two! I'm only a juggler, just a harmless fire-eater. I can show you."

Jane frowned. Did he really think she was dangerous? Well, she supposed she must seem somewhat intimidating holding a sword. "I'm not going

to hurt you, Dustfinger."

Mentioning his name didn't seem to help the situation. She guessed that if the same thing had happened to her and the first person she met

knew her name, she would be scared too. It was a little creepy.

Gwin ran down Dustfinger's arm and jumped to the ground. He sniffed at the floor carefully, then scurried over to Jane. After a quick inspective

sniff, he climbed up my pants and stopped at her shoulder. She leaned away a little when he pushed his little face into hers, trying to find more

interesting scents.

"Careful," Dustfinger said. "He bites."

Jane reached a timid finger out to Gwin's nose, letting the marten approve of it first. It nipped her finger, and she tapped his nose gently and

hissed. She gently stroked his head. This time he didn't bite her.

Dustfinger stared at her, a little wondrously. Gwin never played nice with strangers. He narrowed his eyes. Perhaps she truly was a witch. Then

again, if Gwin approved…

"How did you know to do that?" he asked. The woman looked up from Gwin.

"Hmm?"

"Gwin only lets me pet him. How did you know to do that?" Curiosity shown in his eyes.

Jane shrugged. "I study animal behavior. Besides- it worked out pretty well with my ferret." Jink had been the ferret's name. It died right before

she left for college. It was a sad day.

Jane glanced over to the couch randomly. She froze. Where was Joe? She had forgotten him with the arrival of the Inkworld characters. He'd

been sitting right there, on the couch. Now he was gone. Her heart sped up. "No," she whispered.

She bolted, running through her house, searching every spot that could hide Joe. She called his name until her voice was hoarse. She even

searched around the block and called his house. There was no answer.

When she came back to the living room Dustfinger and Gwin were gone. She slumped down on the couch. Tears were pooling down her face now.

Joe was gone, and if her guess was right, he was in Inkworld now.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Dustfinger comes back.**


	3. Dustfinger Returns

**Chapter 3: Dustfinger Returns**

**"There was no point in worrying yet…what would come would come…and he would have to meet it when it did." **

**-_Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_**

* * *

Jane didn't see Dustfinger for another week. She didn't do much that week either. All she did was read Inkheart. She couldn't believe that she had read Joe away. She refused to believe she couldn't bring him back. A glass man came out. A cloth came out. Even a little fairy came out. Joe didn't. Jane didn't stop trying until she found a still full mail bag on her porch. Another human had been sent into the Inkworld. All because of her. No one seemed to be safe. No one except her.

One night, when she had been sitting out on her porch, absent mindedly watching the bats, Dustfinger came back. He came so quietly that he startled her when he appeared in front of her.

"I can't take it anymore, witch!" he cried. Jane looked up at him. He looked thinner than the last time she'd seen him. "Send me back! This world will be the death of me! It's too fast, too crowded, too noisy. If I don't die of homesickness I'll die of starvation." He knelt down in front of her. "Please, send me back."

Jane stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to answer. "Ok, first of all, I'm not a witch," she said. "I'm Jane." She stood up. "Second of all, if you were hungry all you had to do was ask. I'm not that cruel. Thirdly," she said, looking away from Dustfinger, "I don't know how to send you back."

He stood up so quickly, she almost fell backwards. He grabbed her shoulders and shook them. "What do you mean you don't know how?" he hissed. "You brought me here. You must know how to send me back!"

Jane pushed him off of her. "Well I don't, ok! I didn't even know how I got you here! It just happens." She turned away from him. "Besides, you're not the only one upset about this. You may be here now, but Joe's not!" She spun back towards him. "He took your place, and now I can't get him back!" She was almost crying now. "I've tried for a whole week to read him out again, but I can't" Jane sunk back down to the ground. "I can't," she whispered.

Dustfinger stared at her coldly. "I don't believe you."

Jane almost growled. "Well that sucks for you doesn't it?" She stood back up and angrily walked back into her house. Dustfinger followed.

"Can't you at least try?" he asked. He seemed almost desperate now.

"No!" Jane said. She stopped walking and turned around. "Look, I get that you want to go back. I get that you miss your world and your family and all, but I can't risk it."

She walked over to a cabinet. "What do you like?" she asked. The book hadn't mentioned much about Dustfinger's eating habits.

He ignored her question, instead he kept staring at her. "What risks?" he asked. "I'm the one stuck in this god forsaken world of yours. What possible risks could there be?"

Jane slammed the doors to the cabinets shut. "What risks could there possibly be? Well, I dunno, Dustfinger. Perhaps the fact that my boyfriend disappeared into that book has something to do with it. Or maybe, the mail man that disappeared a few days ago." Her eyes flashed. "You aren't the only one who's missing something."

Dustfinger just continued to stare at her, looking a bit like a lost puppy. Her eyes softened. She rubbed her forehead. "Look, I can't read where there are people around that could get sucked up into that story," she said. His expression darkened. "But," Jane continued, "maybe I could try somewhere where there aren't any people…like the forest."

Dustfinger tried to keep his face schooled, but it didn't work. A spark grew in his eyes. For the first time since he'd come to this world, he looked almost hopeful.

"You mean, you'll do it? You'll try, I mean." he asked earnestly.

Jane nodded tiredly. It had been a long week. It felt like ages since she'd gotten any sleep. She moved over to the couch and sat down. She didn't think it had ever felt more comfortable. She leaned back and closed her eyes. "Lock the door, will you?" she asked. "There's a nice place I know. We can go to-," a yawn stopped her sentence, "tomorrow." That was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep on the couch.

* * *

Dustfinger watched as the witch- Jane- slept. He stroked Gwin absentmindedly. "We might be home tomorrow, Gwin," Dustfinger murmured. His stomach growled, so he stood and went over to the cabinets Jane had been going through earlier. He grabbed some bread- something that at least looked familiar- and began to eat. As he ate he continued to think, but he refused to even contemplate the fact that he might not get to go home.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I have a long free weekend so there should be plenty of posts. Next chapter: Jane tries to read Dustfinger back.**


	4. The Truth of Gwin

**Chapter 4: The Truth of Gwin**

**"After all, to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."**

**-Albus Dumbledore, _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_**

* * *

Jane awoke to a small pressure on her chest. Something furry brushed across her face. She opened her eyes to see two beady eyes staring at her. "Hello, Gwin," she mumbled. She glanced at her watch. 6 a.m. She closed her eyes again.

"Wake up, Jane," a male voice called from the kitchen.

Jane groaned. "Dustfinger, it's 6 in the morning. The sun hasn't even risen yet."

"All the better," he said. "The sooner you read me back, the sooner I can go home, the sooner you can be rid of me."

Jane sat up and rubbed her eyes. She yawned. She usually woke with the sun…but before it? "Alright, alright," she said. "Since you're so excited and all. Just give me an hour or so. I need to take a shower and eat."

A plate was shoved under her nose. "Eat."

Jane looked down. Dustfinger had put some slices of bread and cheese on a plate. The cheese was still wrapped in plastic. She looked up at Dustfinger. She couldn't help it. She started to laugh.

He frowned and moved the plate back a little. "What?"

She stopped laughing, suppressing the remaining giggles. "I appreciate it Dustfinger, but I want a more…filling breakfast."

He glanced down at the plate. It seemed like enough. How much did they eat in this world?

Jane stood up and walked over to the kitchen. "How about pancakes?"

Dustfinger followed curiously. "What are pancakes?"

* * *

After pancakes (Dustfinger seemed to like them- he ate about four), a shower (which Dustfinger asked about), and much coaxing (Dustfinger didn't want to ride in the car), they were off. Dustfinger didn't like the car, but Gwin didn't seem to mind it. He especially liked to climb up onto the dashboard to look out of the window. A half an hour later, they were there.

Dustfinger seemed much more relaxed once they began their little hike through the forest. He was even smiling. It was a strange smile, but Jane decided she liked it. Jane's eyes were constantly being drawn back to his scarred face. The early sunlight that drifted through the trees practically set his ginger hair on fire and his eyes were sparkling. Dustfinger wasn't kidding when he said that the fast-paced life of the rest of the world would kill him. He was practically glowing in the forest.

"How far are we going?" asked Dustfinger. Gwin was riding on the top of his head.

She smiled at the sight. Gwin had wanted to run on the ground, but Dustfinger wouldn't let him. He didn't want to have to wait for the marten when being read back.

"Not much," Jane said. She paused for a moment, listening. "In fact, I think we're there." She walked a bit further through a thick copse of trees, then called back, "Yeah, over here, Dustfinger!"

Dustfinger soon appeared behind her. He gazed around at the surroundings. "It's beautiful," he said.

Jane nodded. She'd found this clearing when she was little, hiking through the woods with her father. It was a small clearing. A little brook winded through the end of it, making a pleasant burbling sound. A few large smooth rocks were by the brook, and a fallen tree made a sort of bridge over it. There were small patches of flowers where sun patches came in through the tree cover. It was a perfect place to relax, especially to read.

She walked over to one of the big smooth boulders and sat down on it. She looked down into the water. A few minnows flitted around, and some dragonflies glided through the air around her. Dustfinger came over and sat down next to her. He'd put Gwin back into his pack.

"Dustfinger," she said after a few moments, "are you sure you want to go back?" She'd been thinking over this question all morning.

He looked at her sharply. "Why wouldn't I?"

She turned her gaze away from his. She couldn't bare to look at him.

"Have you read the book, Dustfinger?" Jane asked quietly.

His intense blue eyes never left her face, though she wouldn't look. "No, but you have." Realization seemed to sink in. "I don't want to know," he said.

Jane looked at him, concerned. "Dustfinger, I refuse to even try to send you back without you knowing." She flinched a little at the look he gave her.

"Jane, do you want to know the end of your own story?"

She grimaced. "No, I suppose I wouldn't."

He let out a deep, frustrated breath through his nose. "Then why would you assume that I would want to know mine?"

"I don't. But I'm not sending you back, just for you to get killed."

He flinched. "Fine, you've told me now." His voice got louder. "Well, now I'm curious." He stood up. "Who is it?" he asked. "Was it Basta? He hangs me, is that it?" He kicked a stump. "Strings me up and tightens the noose until I'm as dead as a doornail, right? But that doesn't matter, Jane! Basta's here now, too. The story would have changed, it must have! He can't hurt me if I go back!" he shouted, almost hysterically. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Send me back!"

Jane just stared at him sadly. "But it wasn't Basta who did it. It was one of Capricorn's men. You die trying to save Gwin from one of them."

He stared at her, then let her go, as if she had shocked him. He stumbled away from her, his eyes wildly looking around him. He looked trapped. He sat down heavily, as if all his weight was working against him.

"I'll read you back, Dustfinger, or at least try to, but you have to promise me you'll keep Gwin far away from you."

His eyes focused again. He swallowed roughly, then nodded.

Jane kept her eyes on him for a moment longer, then sat down and began to read.

* * *

Dustfinger really felt like he was back in his world when Jane started to read. Her voice was magical. The words were brought to life. He could see the fairies and the nymphs. He could see Roxanne again. He could hear the soft familiar whisper of his fire, and even smell the tanneries. He'd never felt such a deep feeling of both home sickness and happiness at the same time.

Jane kept reading. She read through every part that had Dustfinger mentioned. She read as the sun rose high in the sky, announcing the arrival of noon. She read until her voice began to get hoarse. No matter how well she read, however, when she looked up all she saw was a crowd of blue fairies pulling at Dustfinger's hair. And Dustfinger's face had the most heartbroken look she'd ever seen.

* * *

**Poor Dustfinger. Ah well, Next Chapter: Jane agrees to help Dustfinger try to find another way to get home.**


	5. The Fire Dancer

**Chapter 5: The Fire Dancer**

**"Yes a head of fire came toward them, at man's height, but with no body attached to it. The face shed fire, looked in the darkness like a flame shaped as a man's face."**

**-The Phantom of the Opera**

**_Disclaimer: A few of the sentences said by Dustfinger at the show belong to Cornelia Funke, and I believe a few in a previous chapter belong to her as well, if I forgot to mention._**

* * *

Dustfinger and Jane drove back to her house in silence. He hadn't spoken since she had read Inkheart again, and neither had she.

After three more hours of silence, in which Dustfinger sat on the couch, ignoring Gwin, who seemed to want to play. Jane was sitting at her computer, not really doing much of anything, just thinking, and glancing at Dustfinger every few minutes. She cracked.

"Alright, that's enough Dustfinger," Jane said. He didn't look up, just continued to stare gloomily into space.

"You're depressing me."

He didn't look up, but he winced slightly.

Jane went over and knelt down in front of him. "Just because I can't read you back, doesn't mean that there isn't someone who can't."

He looked at her this time. "You mean you know someone who can?" he asked hopefully.

Jane grimaced. "No, but that doesn't mean that we can't look for one." She stood back up and started pacing in front of him. His bright blue eyes followed her. "I can't possibly be the only one in the world who has a talent with books! There must be someone who knows how to read people back."

"You said we," Dustfinger commented. "Does this mean that you'll help me?"

Jane paused for a moment. "Yes."

* * *

From then on, Dustfinger and Gwin began traveling. Jane gave him a cell phone and taught him how to use it. Because she couldn't abandon her job, she had to stay at home, but she loaned him money when he needed it, or helped him find transportation. She answered his questions. She spent most of her free time searching the internet and libraries for any mention of magical readers. It was four months before Dustfinger reported that he had found one. Jane paid to have them brought over by train. Dustfinger refused to fly. "If we were meant to fly, I'd have been born a fairy or a bird," he had said when she'd asked about it.

The reason that he had to bring the reader with him was because of Jane. She refused to let Dustfinger carry the book with him. She didn't want to lose the last key to getting Joe back. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she did.

When Dustfinger and the reader arrived, it was late at night. It wasn't unusual. Dustfinger preferred the night. He never showed up at her house in the day if he could help it. The reader was a man, about mid-thirties. He had luminous golden eyes and hair as black as a raven's wing. He was wearing a white poet's shirt with a sweater vest over it and black dress pants. There were some ink stains on the shirt sleeves. When he spoke, it was lightly accented with Scottish. Dustfinger impatiently pushed him inside and shut the door behind him.

"You are Jane, I take it?" the man asked. His voice had a pleasantly sandy sound to it, though it was clear and as smooth as silk.

Jane nodded. "Sorry about Dustfinger," she said while nodding toward him. "He can get a bit too eager."

Dustfinger gave her a look. She merely grinned at him.

"It's alright," the man said. "I'd be the same way if I was trapped in another world."

An awkward silence filled the room.

"Right, well how about I make some hot chocolate and we can all talk?"

* * *

About ten minutes later, the two men and Jane were sitting in the living room. The reader was sipping at the hot drink, as was Jane, but Dustfinger had barely touched his. He was too anxious to enjoy the chocolate drink.

"I see you've gotten some new clothes," Jane commented, eyeing his new trench coat.

He smiled a mockingly and said, "Yes, Jane. I can see that nothing gets past you."

Jane snorted. "And I can see the rest of you hasn't changed one bit."

"Can we get to reading now?" Dustfinger asked impatiently.

Jane shook her head. "You know my rules, Dustfinger. No reading in civilized areas."

He huffed.

"If you wanted to read right away you shouldn't have come at night."

He jumped up. "Oh, but I wanted to show you something."

Jane and the reader, whose name Jane had found out was John, but was called Golden Eyes by Dustfinger, looked at him curiously.

"What?"

He smiled his strange smile again. "It's a surprise. You'll have to wait to see."

The surprise turned out to be performance. Jane knew that Dustfinger had been one of the strolling players back in the Inkworld, but she'd never imagined she'd get to see one of his shows. Apparently, along with searing for readers, he'd taken up his old trade again while he was away.

John and Jane were invited to see it an hour later. "I have to get ready," he'd explained.

When they walked outside, to the backyard where they would be hidden from any nosy neighbors, they heard the sound of carnival music playing. Some torches had been lit, and a strange assortment of items were laid out on the patio near the grass.

"Sit down pretty lady," Dustfinger called out to Jane and bowed. He paused. "And you too, sir," he added, less enthusiastically.

Jane laughed. "Are you cold Dustfinger?" she called out. It was almost December, and it was almost cold enough to snow. Dustfinger had taken his shirt off, Jane guessed, as a safety precaution.

He smiled. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jane just giggled.

Dustfinger reached over and shut off the music. "Do you hear how quiet it is?" It was a quiet night. There was no wind, nor were there cars out at this time. He switched the music back on.

"I had a private word with the wind," he said. "That's one thing you should know: Never light a fire when there is wind. When there is, not even I can tame the flames." He grinned. "However, it's given me its word of honor for tonight."

"Is that so?" she teased.

With no further ado, Dustfinger began. Jane had never seen anything like it. The fireballs that he blew were bigger and went higher than any Jane had ever seen. He could juggle more torches than she thought possible, tossing them to unreachable heights. Jane had never seen him more happier. He wasn't a fire-eater, he was a fire dancer, the best there ever was.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Maybe a few more things in Dustfinger's point of view...more about Golden Eyes, and another reading.**


	6. Golden Eyes

**Chapter 6: Golden Eyes**

**"Do you know," Peter asked, "why swallows build in the eaves of houses? It is to listen to the stories."**

**-Peter from _Peter Pan_**

* * *

The next morning, after they'd eaten breakfast, Dustfinger, Jane, and Golden Eyes (as Dustfinger had dubbed him) were on their way to the forest to read. Dustfinger was holding Gwin in his lap in the front seat. "We'll get in a car accident if he climbs all over in front of me again!" Jane had argued when he tried to let Gwin have free reign in the car. Dustfinger doubted it, but he did as she said anyways. She knew more about cars after all.

"So what do you do, John?" Jane asked. She refused to call him the name he'd given the new reader. It disappointed him slightly.

Golden Eyes started, as if surprised at being addressed. "Oh, um, I'm a writer."

Jane grinned. Dustfinger rolled his eyes. She really did love those bloody books too much.

"What do you write?" she asked curiously.

Golden Eyes seemed to gain a bit more confidence. "Mostly historical fiction, but what about you, Jane? Have you done any?"

Dustfinger frowned without knowing why. Perhaps it was the sudden informal tone Golden Eyes had taken on. He'd absolutely refused to call her anything other than Ms. Norwich last night after he'd learned her last name.

"Uh, no, not really, I'm afraid," Jane replied. "I used to entertain the thought of becoming an author when I was little. I was actually pretty good at writing."

"What happened?" he asked, sounding like he expected something horrible.

She laughed. Dustfinger liked her laugh. It wasn't restrained like most of the ladies from home laughed. It was free, like a child's laugh.

"Nothing terrible, I assure you. I just don't have the kind of patience to become a writer. I could never get past a few chapters whenever I started anything. I just got bored with it."

"Ah," Golden Eyes said. "Pity."

Dustfinger crossed his arms. He did not like Golden Eyes. "I happen to prefer her profession," he said.

Golden Eyes looked at Jane curiously. "And what would that be?"

Jane smiled widely. "I'm a wildlife biologist," she said proudly, while Golden Eyes didn't say anything more.

"There's our turnoff, Jane," Dustfinger said.

Jane nodded and pulled off to the side of the road.

"Do you like hiking, John?" Jane asked. Golden Eyes was eyeing the forest with apprehension.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm more of a city boy."

Dustfinger smiled to himself. Maybe this would be fun after all.

* * *

Dustfinger, having an excellent memory when it came to forests, led them through the most difficult route he possibly could, and as fast as he could. Jane was keeping up well enough. Golden Eyes was having a little more trouble.

"Dustfinger, hold up!" Jane cried.

He stopped reluctantly. "What is it?"

Jane gestured back to Golden Eyes, who was bending over, breathing hard. It looked like some of his clothing was torn, he noted with satisfaction.

"Are you trying to leave him behind, Dustfinger?" she asked.

He kept his face impassive. "What makes you think that?"

She rolled her eyes. "You do realize that the longer you make this, the longer you'll have to wait for him to read."

Dustfinger shrugged. "So I can't have a bit of fun before I go?"

Jane couldn't help it. She laughed. "Alright, fine, you had your fun for the past half a mile. Now, let's get back onto the actual path."

She walked back toward Golden Eyes. Dustfinger watched coolly as she helped him to get back onto the path. He sighed, then followed them back onto the path.

* * *

A few minutes later, they were back at the clearing they went to the last time.

After Golden Eyes got his breath back, something Dustfinger didn't fail to tease him about, he began to read.

Jane gasped slightly when Golden Eyes began to read. She'd never heard another reader like her before. She didn't know it was like this when she read.

However, at the end of it all, they were still all there. And Dustfinger didn't have the unbearable look of sadness he'd had last time. In its place was an unreadable mask. Perhaps he'd already known it wasn't going to work this time.

* * *

The next day, Golden Eyes was on a flight back home and Dustfinger and Jane were alone in her house. Jane had gone upstairs to get something. When she returned she was carrying a large binder, which she handed to Dustfinger.

He looked up at her, questioning. "I copied Inkheart into that binder. It'll speed up the searching process, so you don't have to travel all the way back here every time you want to have it read."

Dustfinger didn't show any of the amazement or gratitude on his face. He simply nodded. "Thanks."

"I just hope you'll come and visit every once in a while," she added hopefully.

He only nodded again. He stood up, putting the binder and Gwin into his pack.

"Well," Jane said quietly, "good luck." She hugged him.

Dustfinger stiffened, but the hug was over quickly. A minute later, he'd disappeared into the darkness.

Dustfinger did come and visit every once in a while- once a year in fact. And always at night. This continued for about three more years. Then, he stopped coming. He didn't call either. It was another three years before she saw him again.

* * *

_(Dustfinger's point of view…before his disappearance)_

Dustfinger was sitting in an outdoors café in Italy. He'd been following another potential reader. The reader had been reading to a group of children in a library when a glass slipper had appeared, unnoticed to most, out of nowhere. The man was leaving the café. Dustfinger stood up to follow him. Just as he was turning another corner, he was thrown up against a wall roughly. The next minute, a knife was against his neck.

"Hello, Dustfinger. It's been a while."

Dustfinger stared into the eyes of the man he'd hoped to never see again. "Hello, Basta. How'd you manage to find me?" he asked, somewhat curiously. "You're not that clever." His breath still reeked of peppermint too.

Basta sneered. "I'm clever enough to follow the stories about a fire-eater who carries around a horned marten." He pushed the knife against his throat harder. "Capricorn wants to see you, Dirtyfingers."

Dustfinger gave him a false smile. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I have no desire whatsoever to see him, so if you'll excuse me," he tried to push the knife away, but Basta only kneed him in his stomach.

"Sorry. It's not optional."

* * *

**Finally, we hear from Capricorn and Basta! I've been impatiently waiting for this next part, so don't expect a long wait...Next Chapter: Dustfinger returns to Jane...but so does Basta. **


	7. Reunions and Betrayal

**Chapter 7: Reunions and Betrayal**

**"I trusted you," he shouted at Lupin, his voice wavering out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"**

-**Harry from _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_**

* * *

It was late that night. Jane wasn't sure how she heard footsteps over the rain, but she did. She always left her window (or at least the glass part) open in the summer. She liked the smell of the outdoors better than her house. It was also comforting to listen to the night noises, or at least it was until tonight.

Jane carefully pulled back the curtains and peered out into the darkness. It was hard to see, but she could make out the dark form of a man standing there. His hair was plastered against his pale skin. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, as if to give him warmth. He just kept staring at the house. Then, he looked up into her eyes. She let out a sigh of relief, then smiled in excitement. She quickly ran downstairs and pulled open the door.

"Dustfinger, is that you?" she called out.

Dustfinger stepped forward and wiped his face off with his sleeve. "How are you, Jane?" he asked. "It's been a long time."

"Yes," she agreed, "it has." She paused. "You've been gone for so long, Dustfinger. I thought you'd been read back into Inkheart."

He shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid I wasn't so lucky."

"Well come in, then. Don't need you getting hypothermia or pneumonia," she said.

Dustfinger stepped into the house. He pushed his long, drenched hair back. He set his pack on the floor, allowing Gwin to shoot out. The pair watched him roll around on the couch, trying to get dry, for a few moments.

"Well, now that Gwin's settled in, let's get you dry," Jane said finally. "I've got some clothes Joe used to borrow after I forced him to go on one of my walks. They should fit you," she paused, looking him over, "well almost." Joe was a little bit shorter.

About a half an hour later, Dustfinger and Jane were in the living room, sitting in front of the fire. Dustfinger's wet clothes had been put in the wash, and he was now wearing Joe's old clothes…even though the pants were a little bit short.

"So, what brings you back after so long, Dustfinger?" she asked. "And why haven't you called or anything?"

He winced. "Capricorn," was all he said.

Jane looked at him in concern. "Capricorn found you?! Did he hurt you? Are you okay?"

Dustfinger looked away. "No, I'm fine, Jane."

She sat back a little, a bit miffed by his indifferent tone. "Well that's good then," she said quietly.

He nodded, then looked at her with a face so full of anxiety that she nearly leapt back in surprise. "Jane, you have to leave."

"Leave?" she asked, confused. "Why?"

"Capricorn wants you, Jane. He wants you and the book," he said. "And Capricorn always gets what he wants," he said bitterly, while throwing a bit of wood into the fire.

"Well, I'm not going to leave just because he wants me," she said indignantly. "This is my home."

Dustfinger almost laughed. He should have expected this. Jane had always been very stubborn.

"What does he want me for anyway?" she asked. "It's not like I can read him back or anything."

Dustfinger shrugged. He didn't meet her eyes, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Well, I'm not going to let some bully push me around just because he can't get what he wants," she said with an air of finality.

"Don't underestimate him, Jane. It's not just him and Basta anymore," he said, spitting out Basta's name with more than a little bit of hate. "He's got dozens of followers now, and Capricorn knows exactly how to use them to get people to do what he wants. He sets fires. He threatens fathers with their children's lives."

Jane didn't say anything. "What should I do?" she asked after a long pause.

"Go to them," he said hesitantly. "Go to them before they find something to use against you. Maybe if you give them the book they'll let you go."

Jane snorted. "Dustfinger, both you and I know you're lying."

He stiffened.

"You already said yourself that he wants me too, for some strange unknown reason. He's not going to let me go just because I gave him half of what I wanted." She shook her head. "No, I suppose I'll have to run." She glanced at him. "Any suggestions as to where?"

Dustfinger didn't look at her. "South. Capricorn lives in the north."

"Alright," she said. "I have an old friend down in Italy. I'll stay with her for a while."

Dustfinger tried not to wince. She couldn't have played into his hands any better.

* * *

The next morning, Dustfinger, Gwin, and Jane were on their way to Italy. Jane was a little excited. She hadn't been to Italy in years, but she remembered how beautiful it was. It was almost like a vacation, and what's a good vacation without one of your dearest friends?

About four hours later, they were pulling in outside of some gates. The area was very secluded. The house, if you could call it that, couldn't be seen from the gate because of all the bushes blocking the view. Signs telling people to keep out were posted on the gate, but Jane ignored them. She got out of the car and pulled the gate open.

"You've got rich friends, Jane," Dustfinger commented, making her jump. She hadn't heard him come over.

"Yeah, but she spends them all on books. I'm surprised she hasn't gone bankrupt yet."

He looked at the gate nervously. "Does she have dogs? The gate suggests at least three ferocious dogs to me. Big ones, the size of calves."

Jane looked at him questioningly. "You're afraid of dogs?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"Only guard dogs," he answered vaguely.

"Ok, then. Um, no, I don't think she has any," Jane answered. "We'll be in the car anyway."

* * *

A minute later, Dustfinger and Jane were standing outside of the door, waiting for Elinor to answer. Dustfinger was whistling to some of the birds that were fluttering around the house.

"How did you get so good at that?" she asked.

He smiled. "The strong man taught me, from back home," he said, a trace of longing in his voice. "I'm not quite as good at it as he is, but I think I do a good job."

"Hmm," she said. "I'd like to meet him."

Dustfinger looked at her, a little surprised. He was about to reply, but the door finally opened.

"Elinor!" Jane said, smiling. She rushed forward to hug her. "It's been so long since I saw you last."

Dustfinger watched the reunion awkwardly.

"It's good to see you again, Jane, darling, but who is this?" she asked, a little more than a bit unpleasantly.

"This is Dustfinger, a good friend of mine," she said. "You remember, Elinor, I told you about him last night."

"Oh yes," Elinor said, brusquely. "I'm afraid someone's going to have to share a room, though. My niece and her family decided to stop by for the weekend, and most of my guestrooms are quite full with books."

"It's quite alright Elinor, we'll be fine."

Elinor was still looking at Dustfinger suspiciously. "Yes, of course, you can share a room with Meggie, my niece's daughter, Jane." She frowned. "I suppose he can have the attic."

Jane stifled a smile. It was very obvious she didn't like the possibility of her and Dustfinger sharing a room.

"That'd be great, Elinor."

"Yes, well, come in. I suppose you'll need another tour. I've done a little remodeling to accommodate more books."

* * *

It was lunch time when Dustfinger and Jane had reached Elinor's house, and Elinor and her relatives and the two newcomers had gathered outside for lunch.

Elinor's niece's name was Teresa, but almost everyone called her Resa. She was thin and had blond hair and blue eyes. Meggie, her daughter, was like a younger replica of her. Mortimer, or Mo as everyone but Elinor called him, was handsome. He was tall, with hair as dark as moleskin and had a very pleasant voice to listen to.

"Not to be rude, Jane, but why did you come?" Elinor asked after Mo had inquired about her and Dustfinger's presence. "You weren't very specific last night."

"Oh you know, just visiting," Jane replied uncomfortably.

"You're lying," Meggie said suddenly. She blushed when everyone looked at her.

"Meggie," Mo patronized.

"No, it's alright," Jane said. "It's honest. She's right. We're not here just for a visit."

Everyone's eyes turned to her, somewhat surprised.

"I don't think you'll believe us if we tell you the truth though."

"Oh, please do," Elinor said. "It'll at least make a good story, no doubt."

And so Jane told her story. She showed them Inkheart, and how the descriptions and pictures matched Dustfinger and Gwin exactly. The table sat in shocked silence for a while. Finally, Meggie asked if she could see Gwin. Dustfinger took him out. He sniffed at the grass, then scurried over to her.

"Careful, he bites," both of them said at the same time. They shared an amused glance.

"I don't think I'd have been able to believe you myself," said Mo finally, "if I didn't know that the part about the readers was true."

They all looked at him curiously, except for Meggie and Resa. "I can do it too," he said.

Dustfinger immediately straightened.

"I never knew that the book takes something in return though," he said, looking a bit pale. "Nothing living's ever come out before. I'm never reading aloud again."

Jane grinned bitterly. "I told myself the same thing after Joe disappeared."

* * *

Early, the next morning, Mo and Jane were sitting at the breakfast table. Dustfinger had gone out to let Gwin get some fresh air.

"Jane, have you ever tried changing the story?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever tried writing something new, like say, writing it so that Dustfinger gets sent home?"

Jane looked at him in excitement. "No, I've never tried doing that before. Do you think it would work?"

He shrugged. "It's worth a try. I was thinking about it last night. The only part I'm unsure about is whether you would need the original author to write it or not."

She frowned. "Hmm, you're right, it'd make more sense if the author did it." She smiled again. "Thanks for the idea though, Mo. I know just where to go next now."

* * *

Later that night, Dustfinger decided to treat them all to a show. All of them were entranced by the show. They didn't notice when a group of men appeared behind them until the guns were pressed into their backs.

Meggie screamed, but a hand quickly shot over her mouth. "Easy there, princess," a rough voice said.

"What's the meaning of this?" Elinor shouted. The man behind her just laughed cruelly. "I'd ask Miss Raventongue over there if I were you," he said.

"Raventongue?" she asked. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Let go of my daughter!" Mo shouted. He tried to go to her, but one of the men, a man with a flat nose, butted him in the head with his gun.

"Mo!" Resa cried.

"Enough!" Dustfinger shouted. He strode over to Basta, who had grabbed Jane, angrily. "We agreed that no one would get hurt!"

Basta. Jane should have known it was him behind her. She could smell the peppermint, and the knife at her throat was clue enough. Her thoughts quickly turned back to Dustfinger though. "You agreed?" she asked sharply. "What do you mean you agreed?"

Dustfinger looked away shamefully.

"Dustfinger?" she asked. She didn't want to even think about him betraying her. He didn't answer.

"What's the matter, Dustfinger?" Basta rasped. "Can't stand letting the girl know the real you? I'm not surprised." Jane could hear the smile in his voice. "You always were a coward."

"Shut up!" Jane shouted. His grip tightened and the pressure at her neck grew.

"Careful, darling," Basta said. "Watch what you say."

She growled. "Alright, fine. I know why you're here. I'll go with you, just let the rest of them go already!"

He chuckled. "I knew you'd see it our way. Come on boys."

Elinor, Mo, Resa, and Meggie were all forced into a small huddle. Two men aimed their guns at them while the rest of them got into cars they'd parked further down the driveway. Once the rest had gotten into the cars, the two men with the guns jumped in as another car pulled up beside them.

Basta shoved her into one of the cars and quickly got in next to her, to keep her from escaping. Dustfinger got in and sat on the other side.

"Did you get the book?" Basta asked.

He only nodded, and refused to look at Jane the rest of the way to Capricorn's village.

* * *

**Phew! That has got to be one of the longest chapters I've written...I usually separate them so they're shorter...Next Chapter: Dustfinger and Jane talk about why Dustfinger betrayed her and Capricorn finally rejoins the story.**


	8. Capricorn's Village

**Chapter 8: Capricorn's Village**

**"Everybody does stupid things, it shouldn't cost them everything they want in life."**

**-Hugh Laurie, from _House, M.D._**

_P.S. Yes, I do realize that House is not a book. The quote fit better than others I found though._

* * *

Jane ended up falling asleep on the, semi-long, car ride to Capricorn's village. Thankfully, for her pride, she didn't end up leaning on Basta's shoulder. She didn't know him that well, but she knew him well enough that she suspected he would gloat about it. As with most long car rides, she woke up when they were almost there. She looked out the window. The sun was just rising, making the sky a pinkish color. She just barely smiled at the sight.

Dustfinger watched Jane carefully when she woke up. She looked out of the window and did the unimaginable. She smiled. It was barely there, but there nonetheless. His lips twitched up slightly. Trust Jane to smile at a sunrise in a car full of arsonists, murderers, and…he couldn't bring himself to think the last one, though he'd thought it plenty of times already. He hadn't wanted to hand Jane over to Capricorn. He just wanted to go home so badly.

Jane paused to stretch when she got out of the car. Her knees were stiff from sitting for so long. A few moments later, she was being led through Capricorn's village. It was a very hard thing for her to admit, but Capricorn's village was one of the most beautiful she'd ever seen. It was an old, run down, abandoned village that probably hadn't been officially inhabited for centuries. What Jane liked the most about it was the cats. There were cats everywhere, lying about in the sun. The strange, or rather not so strange thing, was that there were hardly any women about. It was mostly men that walked the streets, some of them looked like they weren't even teenagers yet. That had to be the worst part.

* * *

They led Jane to a large two story house. When they entered Capricorn was in his dressing gown, all red of course. He liked fire so much, it was only natural that red was his favorite color. He hadn't changed much since she'd last seen him, although she thought he might've cut his hair shorter. He looked up when they entered. Basta introduced them, though she raised an eyebrow when he said that they were guests. As if she'd come here for a visit.

"Where is it?" Capricorn asked. His voice was dark and heavy. Perfect for a villain. Jane decided that it made him more attractive. She'd always based her personal opinions for beauty on the sound of voices rather than physical appearance. She liked Dustfinger's voice better. It was lighter, kinder, more playful.

It was Dustfinger who answered, though he didn't look at Capricorn while he spoke. "I've got it," he said. He pulled it from his coat. Jane was relieved that he hadn't put it in his sack. She doubted that Gwin would leave it in a good condition. Basta came over and snatched it from his hands. Dustfinger glared at him, then stared at the book longingly.

Capricorn, however, had stood up. He tightened the belt around his dressing gown and descended the steps, his arms behind his back. He scrutinized Jane carefully with his pale eyes. Jane didn't know why. She wasn't much to look at, and he'd seen her once before, though it was a long time ago. It was more likely he just wanted her to feel uncomfortable. It was working.

"How long has it been, Raventongue?" he asked. Raventongue? There was that name again. "Six, seven years?"

"About," Jane answered. She narrowed her eyes. "But my name's not Raventongue. Who came up with that?"

Capricorn raised his eyebrows in surprise, whether it was real or not, Jane didn't know. She doubted it. "Oh, Dustfinger didn't tell you?" he asked.

Her brows knitted together in surprise. "Dustfinger?" She glanced over at him, but he was watching the candle flames.

"Oh yes," Capricorn said. She returned her gaze to him. "A voice as smart, graceful, and playful as a raven, as he always used to say, isn't that right, Dustfinger?" Dustfinger didn't even look up.

"Why am I here, Capricorn?" Jane asked, changing the subject.

His lips moved upward a bit. "I'm sure you can guess why, but if not, you'll find out soon enough."

He looked away from her and over to Basta. "Take her upstairs," he ordered.

"Why?" Jane asked.

Basta poked her in the back with his shot gun. "We're going to put you in a room for now, until Capricorn requires your services," he said.

Jane decided not to comment on the way that sounded, and walked upstairs with Basta, though not without looking back at Dustfinger. He was finally looking at her again, and she'd never seen more guilt-ridden eyes than the ones Dustfinger had at that moment.

* * *

Basta opened the door for her. "After you, miss," he said mockingly.

She stepped inside. "Is there a bathroom around here?" she asked.

"To the right, on the other side of the dresser," he replied shortly.

"Thanks," she said without thinking.

Basta looked at her uncomfortably. He wasn't expecting good manners from a captive, or anyone, really. He just muttered something under his breath, and left quickly, locking the door behind him.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later the door opened and quickly closed again. Jane looked up from her spot on the bed.

"Hello, Dustfinger," Jane said.

"I can't stay long," he said. "I'm not supposed to be in here."

"Why not?" she asked. "I reckon you and Capricorn aught to be good friends by now," she said.

Dustfinger winced at the phrase. "Look, I know you're angry, Jane. I don't blame you. I didn't want to bring you to Capricorn, but he said he found a way to send people back."

She gave him a look. "How do you know he's not lying?" she asked.

He looked at her, nothing but grief and desperation in his eyes. "I had to at least try."

She nodded and looked out the window. "I know," she said sadly.

"Jane?" he asked quietly, and so timidly, like a child.

"Yeah?"

"Are-am I still your friend?"

She grinned tiredly. "I suppose I am Dustfinger," she said, causing Dustfinger to light up like a match being struck. "I'm going to need a friend if I'm going to stay in this place."

"What do you mean?" he asked, failing to keep the smile out of his voice. "Basta was under the impression that you two would be bosom companions."

He laughed as Jane chucked a pillow at him. It was good to have a friend again, though Dustfinger didn't know why Jane wanted to be his.

* * *

**Well there we are..Next Chapter: More on why Jane forgave Dustfinger...and interaction between the rest of the inhabitants of the village.**


	9. Capricorn's Demands

**Chapter 9: Capricorn's Demands**

**"Any animal owner will tell you that a stubborn mule will move in the proper direction if there is a carrot in front of it, and a stick behind it. It will move toward the carrot, because it wants the reward of food, and away from the stick, because it does not want the punishment of pain. Likewise, you will do what I say to avoid the punishment of the loss of your sister, and because you want the reward of surviving this experience."**

-**Count Olaf, _A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning_**

_Disclaimer: The sentences with the *'s at the end of them are from the actual book **Inkheart** and therefore belong to Cornelia Funke. I didn't want to change a few of the things the characters said because it was hard to imagine them saying something different._

* * *

After Dustfinger left, Jane was left alone to her thoughts. Surprisingly, she barely stopped to question herself why, after everything he'd done, she had forgiven Dustfinger so quickly. She already knew the reason why. It was because he was her friend and she didn't want to lose that. It was because she felt connected to him. It was because it was her fault he had needed to betray her.

Instead of contemplating her own actions, she began to think of more pressing issues. For example, Capricorn. It was obvious that he most likely wanted her to read something for him. But what? She couldn't read him back. She couldn't control what she read out. Really, she was pretty much useless to him. Perhaps Capricorn didn't know that. That thought gave her chills. There were few things more dangerous than disappointing Capricorn. She didn't want to stick around to see what would happen if she did.

Her thoughts were interrupted by loud knocking against her door.

"Come in!" she called, though she doubted she really wanted whoever it was to do so.

It was Basta. He opened the door carefully and peered in. He was still holding his gun. "Capricorn needs you now." He gestured for her to walk out in front of him. She did.

"What does he want me for, anyway?" she asked as Basta walked her through the village.

"You'll find out when you get there," Basta said.

"I'm going to assume that Capricorn told you to tell me that," Jane said.

Basta didn't answer her, but the silence told her everything.

* * *

He led her to the church Jane had seen earlier that morning. There were eyes painted on the door, almost reminding her of Count Olaf's house, from _A Series of Unfortunate Events_. There were two stone creatures on either side of the doorway, gargoyles. Jane wondered why they were there since gargoyles were meant to keep evil spirits out. There were plenty roaming around the village, and it didn't seem to keep them out. Two of them, Cockerell and Flatnose, joined the entourage, while Basta went in a different direction after entering the church.

Everything inside of the church was red, Capricorn's favorite color. Jane felt as though she was looking at everything through rose-colored glasses. Except for the people of course. Capricorn's henchmen were in their crow-black jackets as always. She glanced up at a large statue, a horribly made one of Capricorn, and nearly tripped when Cockerell pushed on her back, trying to make her bow to it. She wondered why. Would it not make more sense to bow to Capricorn himself?

They passed some tables. Some maids were cleaning up lunch from them. At the very end of the room, where the little steps led up to what used to be a pulpit, was a large chair. Jane guessed that it was supposed to be a throne. Beside the throne, was Dustfinger. Gwin was climbing on him, but paused when he saw Jane. He chattered, and ran up to her. She let him climb up onto her shoulder. She grinned at him. "Hello, Gwin." Gwin nipped lightly at her ear, then ran back to Dustfinger. Dustfinger gave her a small smile and pulled out some matches. He had started to play with them when Basta came out.

He was carrying some small tanks of gasoline. "Playing with your best friend again, are you, Dustfinger?" Basta sneered. He put the tank down next to him. "Here's another toy for you. Light us a fire, will you? It's what you like best."

Dustfinger smiled at his little flame. "And what about you, Basta?" He raised the match to Basta's face. "Still afraid of fire?"

He knocked the match out of his hand.

"Oh, you shouldn't do that. You know how easily fire takes offense. It's bad luck," Dustfinger said, enjoying the fear in Basta's eyes.

Basta clenched his fists, but he didn't do anything with them. "You're lucky I just cleaned my knife!"* he spat. "You better watch yourself, or you'll find a few new pretty additions to your face, and one less marten."

Gwin spat at him angrily, and curled around Dustfinger's neck.

"Yes, I'm sure you'd like that, Basta." Dustfinger said coolly. "But why would I want to light a fire right now, I wonder?"*

"Just do it, and make sure it's a nice big one."

Dustfinger was about to pick up the gas tank when the door opened. It was Capricorn. He was carrying Inkheart.

He stopped when he reached Jane. "Ah, so my guest is here already," he said. He was almost a foot taller than her. He seemed rather pleased by that. Jane silently cursed her height. It was hard to be intimidating when you were short, though Basta seemed to get along fine. Unfortunately, he was taller than her too.

"What do you want with me, Capricorn?" Jane asked. "You told me I'd find out later. It's later."

Capricorn traced his lips lightly. He smiled slightly. "You still haven't figured it out?"

Jane tensed. "Well I'm hoping it's not to read you back." She really hoped this wasn't the reason why. "I don't know how."

Capricorn shook his head. "No, I don't want that." He scowled. "I'm sick of that world. All of those stinking beasts and talking objects." He shook his head again. "No, I never want to return to that world again."

Jane was relieved. "But then why do you need me?" she asked.

Capricorn signaled to one of his men. He brought in a large box. It was full of books. Except for one. Jane recognized it. It was the binder filled with the copy of Inkheart she'd given him.

"It's been a great deal of trouble finding them all," Capricorn said.* He reached into the box and pulled a few books out. One was in German. The other was in French. She still recognized the title though. "They may look different, but the content's all the same," Capricorn continued.* "This world has so many languages and it made the search all the more harder. It was much simpler back in the Inkworld, wasn't it, Dustfinger?"

He didn't answer. He just stared into the box, an unbearable look of shock and longing all mixed into one. Capricorn threw the books into the brazier.

"What are you doing?" Dustfinger tried to grab them from out of the little fire pit, but Basta held him back.

"What are you doing?" Jane repeated his question. "You can't burn them!"

Dustfinger quickly pulled the gas canister behind his back, but Basta grabbed it from him. A gun was pointed at him while book after book was thrown into the pile and gas was quickly poured onto them all, soaking their pages.

"Where did they all come from?"* he stammered. "You told me that Raventongue's was the last."

"Yes, yes, I told you all kinds of things," Capricorn said. "You're such a gullible fellow, Dustfinger. It's fun to tell you lies because you're always so ready to believe what you want to. Your innocence has always surprised me. You lie so convincingly."*

Dustfinger stared at him with hatred in his eyes.

"But these really are the last copies of Inkheart, you can believe that."

"But why?" Jane asked. "Why collect them all just to burn them?"

Capricorn looked at her and smiled. She shivered. "Why because of people like you, Raventongue. I'm not going to take the chance that I might end up back in that story just because someone wanted a good bedtime story." And with that he flicked a match into the pile. The books were on fire in seconds.

"No!" Dustfinger shouted. He pushed Basta's gun away from him and reached into the flames. He dropped the first book after it burned his fingers, but he tried to reach back in again. Before he could, Flatnose grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back. He kicked him hard in the kneecap, causing Flatnose to howl in pain, and to release him. But this time it wasn't one of Capricorn's men who stopped him.

"Stop it!" Jane shouted as she pulled him away from the fire. "You're going to hurt yourself, Dustfinger."

"Let go, Jane. That's my only way back home!" He tried to push her away, but she grabbed his hair. He cried out in pain.

"That wasn't the last copy!" she hissed into his ear, barely loud enough for him to hear. But it caused him to pause.

"What?" he stared into her eyes.

"I said it's not worth it." She gave him a meaningful glance at Capricorn, who was watching the two suspiciously. He seemed to catch on. He slumped to the ground and put his face in his hands, trying to look defeated.

Capricorn wiped his hands with a handkerchief. He seemed pleased by the book burning. It was a sad sight for Jane though. It was always a horrible sight to see a book being destroyed. Capricorn sat back in his throne, satisfied. He nodded at one of his men. "Go fetch Mortola. I need our little fire-eater to be able to use his hands."

* * *

Capricorn stretched out. "And now back to your question, Raventongue." He examined his boots. "You seem convinced that you can't control what you do, but I don't believe that." He looked up at her with his colorless eyes. "I want another demonstration of your skills." He looked over at Cockerell. "Where's the reader? Didn't I tell you to bring him here?"

Cockerell answered that he was still choosing books. He left to get him.

"If you have a reader, why ask me?" Jane wondered aloud.

"Our reader, Darius, is useless," Capricorn replied. "He can't read anything out properly. One just has to take a look at Flatnose's face to see that." The aforementioned man blushed and looked down. "You should have seen some of the earlier horrors he read out."

"What do you want me to read?" Jane asked.

"Gold," he replied. "I do love money, and I can never get enough for all of the wonderful things that can be bought in this world."

The door opened, and Cockerell and another man walked in. He looked so pathetic and awkward that Jane instantly felt bad for him. She ignored Capricorn as he talked to him briefly, instead choosing to study Darius. She stopped when he walked over to her.

"These-these are all of the stories with treasure in them," he said nervously. "They weren't easy to find, not in this village, but I think you'll be pleased with them."

Jane smiled pleasantly at him, trying to make him feel more at ease. "Thank you, Darius."

"Y-you're w-welcome," he stammered, trying to smile back. He tripped as he backed away, causing Capricorn's men to laugh. Jane glared at them.

"What if I refuse to read?" Jane asked Capricorn. Dustfinger's head shot up and Darius paled from his corner.

Capricorn just smiled cruelly. "There's always something that can be used against anyone. Family. A pet. A friend."

Jane smirked. "Well that's too bad, Capricorn. My family's dead and so are my pets. All of my friends have moved away to I don't know where. I haven't spoken to any of them in years."

Capricorn didn't say anything for a moment. Then he smirked. "Wrong."

Jane frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You're forgetting someone."

"Who?"

"Dustfinger."

Jane froze for a moment and Dustfinger looked at her nervously. She swallowed. "That traitor? Why do you think I'd care about him?"

Capricorn's eyebrows rose. "Alright then." He looked at Flatnose and Basta. He nodded to them. Flatnose pulled Dustfinger to his feet and Basta pulled out his knife.

"What are you doing?" Jane asked hoarsely.

Capricorn didn't answer.

"I've been dying to do this for ages," Basta said, caressing his knife. He held it up to Dustfinger's throat.

"No!" Jane shouted. She ran over and pushed Basta away. Then she froze. Soft footsteps came up behind her. She closed her eyes.

"You seem awfully concerned for someone who doesn't care," Capricorn's voice said softly. She could hear the awful smile that had to be on his face. He moved beside her and pulled her chin up to look at him. "If you refuse to read, the fire-eater dies. Is that clear?"

Jane pulled her face out of his hand and rubbed it. "Fine."

* * *

**Wow. This chapter has double the amount of content than my usual ones. Anywho, Next Chapter: Jane has to read aloud. **

**Quick question. Is there an overwhelming amount of people who want Farid to join the story? I was going to leave him out, but if y'all want him then I'll put him in. Just let me know in a review. If nobody answers, I'll just stick with the plan and leave him out. Speaking of reviews, thank you to everyone who did so.**


	10. Treasure Island and Harry Potter

**Chapter 10: Treasure Island and Harry Potter**

**"No! You must not read from the book!"**

**- Allen Chamberlain from _The Mummy_**

Jane looked down at the books, reading the titles slowly. _Treasure Island_. _Thousand and One Nights_. _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_. The last one gave her chills.

She looked up at him sharply. "Why this book?" she asked, holding up _Harry Potter_.

Capricorn's lips twitched upward slightly. "We'll save that one for last."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Cockerell poked her sharply in the side with his gun. "Just read," he snarled.

Jane glared at him. However, she picked up _Treasure Island _instead and began to read. Just like when she usually read, something came out of the book. Thankfully this time it really was only treasure that came out, though she wouldn't have minded if Capricorn had gone in. He didn't.

Jane looked up at Capricorn when she was done reading from _Treasure Island_. "Satisfied?" she asked.

"Move on to the next book," was all he said.

She rolled her eyes and picked up _Thousand and One Nights_. This time, instead of treasure coming out, a man did. He looked like he was one of the bandits from the story, part of the band of murderers and thieves. He had a cutlass in his hand, but he dropped it in surprise when he realized he wasn't in the desert anymore. Jane had stopped reading right when he came out, and now two of Capricorn's men had grabbed him.

"See!" she said angrily. "I can't control it! Now look at what's happened." She swept her eyes around the room. The people she remembered, Capricorn, Basta, Flatnose, Cockerell, and Dustfinger (thank god) were still there. "You better take a head count, Capricorn, because I really doubt the book didn't take anyone this time."

"Hey!" one of the men's voices called out. "Where's Fulvio? He was standing here a second ago, and now he's vanished!"

Jane and Capricorn stared at each other, Jane cocking her head and raising her eyebrows as if to say, "What'd I tell ya?"

A loud and angry murmur had begun to spread throughout the room.

"Quiet!" Capricorn yelled. "Have you forgotten how stupidly Fulvio's been acting? It's a good thing that he's left. Besides- we can always use the new man. He looks like he's not afraid to spread fire." He paused, then looked back at Jane. "All the same, I want riches now. After all, that's what the book is about, so let's have some!"

The murmuring struck up again and this time Basta spoke up. "It's all very well that Fulvio's gone, but what about next time?" he asked. "I don't want to suddenly find myself in the middle of a desert!"

The murmuring increased in volume and people called out in agreement.

Capricorn quieted them all again and demanded for Jane to begin reading.

Jane shook her head. "Basta's right," she said, ignoring the man behind her jump slightly at his name. "I don't know what'll happen. You could be next," she said. "You've got enough money to last you a life time. I want to go home now."

"Alright, I suppose that is enough today. We'll read again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" she spluttered. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

Capricorn strolled lazily over to his new money. "I'm willing to take that risk." He dipped his hand into the coins and let them fall back into the box. "I have many plans for you, Raventongue. Today's reading was just a test." He reached into the box where he'd kept all of the Inkhearts. "I'm convinced. Tomorrow you will read out a few more things for me, something a little more than money." He pulled out a book. "Surprise!" he said while smiling, enjoying the look of shock on Jane and Dustfinger's faces. "No, I didn't burn all of the copies. I had to save one for myself you see; there's one last thing I need to be read from it before I can destroy it." He walked over to her and lifted her chin up. "And tomorrow you're going to read it out for me."

She tried to pull away, but he just gripped harder. "And just what is it that you're so eager to have read out?"

He smiled. "Oh, just an old friend." he said quietly.

Jane could guess at what he meant by that and paled considerably.

"Ah, I see you've heard of him." He seemed pleased by her fear.

She avoided his eyes. "What about the other book?" she asked. "All of the money in there can't be used in this world. They use a different currency."

He tilted his head. "Don't you remember, Raventongue," he said, "what the book is named after?"

My eyes snapped back up to his in shock. "Ah, so you do remember."

Jane certainly did. Not only did Capricorn want her to grant him an extremely long life full of riches, he wanted her to bring a monster into this world. She couldn't let that happen.

Capricorn ordered Basta to take her back to her room. She didn't even glance at Dustfinger on the way out. How was she going to stop Capricorn from getting the Shadow, and still keep herself and Dustfinger alive?

Unknown to her, Dustfinger already had a plan.

* * *

**I apologize for how short this chapter is and how long it took. I've been done with this one for weeks, but I was having trouble getting it uploaded. Hopefully a new one will be up soon, but I'd look for it more towards the weekend. It's hard to find time during the week.**

**Next Chapter: Dustfinger's Plan**


	11. The Escape

**Chapter 11: The Escape**

**"Now I gave you fair warning, either you or your head must be off, and that in about half no time! Take your choice!"**

**-The Queen from _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_**

* * *

Around nighttime, Dustfinger poked his head around a corner. He crept as soundlessly as a shadow down the hallway. He paused outside of a door and glanced up and down the hallway once more. He quickly picked the lock and opened the door. He then slipped quickly inside.

Jane was asleep on the bed. She didn't look very peaceful. Her brow was knit and she kept moving, trying to find the comfort that wasn't present in her mind. Dustfinger reached down and touched her arm.

WHAM

Dustfinger quickly muffled his own cry of pain and threw his hand over Jane's mouth. He glared down at her.

"Any reason why you felt the need to hit me?" he asked, removing his hand from her mouth and instead rubbed his recently battered nose.

Jane sat up tiredly. "Dustfinger?"

He grimaced. "Yes."

Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Her eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't lean over me like that though."

He rolled his eyes. "I'll try to remember that next time." He pulled her up. "Now hurry, we have to move quickly. I managed to steal the keys to one of the cars, and we have to be gone before they find out they're missing."

At this, Jane woke up fully and went to grab her shoes.

"Leave them," he said. "You'll be quieter without them."

Jane nodded and followed Dustfinger out of the door and down the hallway. At one point, Dustfinger stopped so quickly she nearly ran into him. He pushed her backwards into the shadows. A few seconds later Cockerell came whistling by. Jane prayed fervently that he wouldn't see them as her heart pounded in her chest. He didn't. A few minutes later they were on the move again.

* * *

They reached the car without further incident, though they had to sneak past a few more, less alert, guards. Jane got into the driver's seat and closed the door quietly. Dustfinger held up his finger, signaling to wait a minute.

A moment later Dustfinger returned and slid into the passenger's seat, breathing heavily.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

He held up a knife, Basta's knife. "Slashed the other cars' tires."

Jane nodded. "Good thinking."

Dustfinger grinned at her.

"Is the coast clear?" she asked, peering behind her.

He glanced around, but didn't see anyone.

"I think so."

Jane started the car, and began to drive down the road, slowly.

BANG!

Jane yelled. "I thought you said the coast was clear!"

"I thought it was," he shouted. "It's too late! Drive!"

Jane floored it, and the car shot forward, sending dirt flying out behind it. A few more shots were fired, but none hit the car. They sped away, but about fifteen or twenty minutes later Jane saw headlights further up the hill. It would take a while for them to reach their car, but it was still worrisome. Jane saw a sharp turn coming ahead and made a decision.

Jane sped up going around the turn, forced the car off the road slightly and parked. She got out of the car and Dustfinger copied.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"In about twenty minutes they'll catch up to us. If we keep going they'll just follow us until our car dies. We need to go on foot from here, but first we need to get rid of the car. Help me find a rock."

Dustfinger stared at her curiously, but in a few more minutes they found what Jane judged to be a decent sized rock. She turned the car back on and put the rock on the gas pedal. "Stand back!" she called back to Dustfinger. Jane tensed, then pulled the gear back into drive. She leapt backwards as the car shot forward, down the hill. The two of them watched as it rolled a good distance down the hill and with a final 'bang' stopped.

Jane frowned a little disappointedly. "Hmm. It would have been better if it exploded. They might have thought we died then." She shrugged. "Ah well, it's bought us some time."

Dustfinger shook his head. "Your intelligence is astounding."

Jane laughed. "No, I just watch way too many movies. I thank you though."

* * *

They then decided to travel up the hill, since Capricorn's men would probably investigate the tire tracks first. It was a very long hike, and very tiring. However, they did eventually reach a village where Jane used a credit card to buy a small room at a cheap motel. Jane collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep. Dustfinger stayed up, staying alert for sign of Capricorn's men, and watched over Jane's slumbering form.

* * *

**I am sooo sorry that it's taken this long and for such a pathetic length of a chapter too! I had no idea this chapter hadn't been posted yet..i thought it had. Anyways...stay tuned for a new chapter soon. Next Chapter: Dustfinger and Jane seak out Fenoglio to try out Mo's plan.**


	12. Fenoglio

**Chapter 12: Fenoglio**

**"As a trafficker in climaxes and thrills and characterization and wonderful dialogue and suspense and confrontations, I had outlined the Dresden story many times."**

**-Kurt Vonnegut from _Slaughterhouse-Five_**

* * *

Jane woke up to find herself mildly disoriented and in only slightly higher spirits than she had been the night before. It didn't take long for the previous night's events to come rushing back to her, and no time at all for her to realize that she and Dustfinger were both in serious trouble. Bad trouble. Once her eyes were able to focus again she noticed Dustfinger sitting by the window, snoring softly. She grinned. The morning's sun was making his hair glow, and Gwin had fallen asleep on his head. All in all, it was completely adorable.

She quietly walked over to the window and looked out at the street. A small crowd of people were already strolling through the streets, and all of the vendors were out. A few street performers had gotten up early as well. It would have made for a pleasant sight were they on vacation. However, they had more pressing matters to deal with. Dangerous ones.

"Nice isn't it?" a soft voice came from next to her. "Of all of the places in your world, I think I like this one the best. It almost reminds me of home." Jane looked down at Dustfinger, who had pulled Gwin off of his head and was now stroking him. "Though," he said, with that odd smile of his, "these so-called performers aren't nearly as talented as the strolling players are."

Jane smiled back, but then frowned. "Do you think they've caught up with us yet?"

Dustfinger gazed out the window. He shrugged. "It's not an impossibility, though in my opinion none of them are particularly clever," he smirked, "so I wouldn't be too worried."

Jane laughed. She sat down. "Still, I don't think we should underestimate them. I think we should leave as soon as possible."

Dustfinger pulled out another one of his box of matches and began to play with them. "Where would we go?"

Jane didn't answer him for a moment. She hoped this wouldn't bring his hopes up too much. "Do you remember that man from Elinor's house, Mo?"

His brow furrowed slightly. He nodded for her to continue. "He had an idea on how to read people back."

Dustfinger's eyes snapped toward her. He regarded her quietly, trying to stem the fountain of hope that was now trying to bubble up to the surface.

"His idea was that instead of just reading from the book… we should write something new, something that still sounds like it came from the book. Only this writing would include something about the person returning to the story."

"Do you think it'd work?"

Jane bit her lip. "I don't see why it wouldn't."

"Could we try it? Now?"

She sighed. "That's just the thing. Mo and I thought it would work better if the author were to do it."

He grew silent.

* * *

"Are you sure this is where he lives?" Dustfinger asked.

Jane looked down again at the address Elinor had gotten for her. She nodded. "It should be."

They had found a local taxi that took them to the nearby area that Fenoglio, the author of Inkheart, was suppose to live in. Jane stared at the door in front of her nervously, then raised her fist to the aged, wooden door and knocked.

A few moments later, an older man that had a suspiciously tortoise-looking face opened the door. After a few minutes of coaxing, Dustfinger and Jane entered his home.

"And so you see, we'd really appreciate it if you could try to write something for us," Jane finished explaining a while later.

Fenoglio was quiet for a while. Jane supposed it must be hard to believe a story as crazy as her's and Dustfinger's, but weren't the craziest stories supposed to be the ones that held the most truth? She was glad she had Dustfinger with her. It'd be much harder to convince him if his own creation wasn't staring him in the face.

Finally, they got Fenoglio to agree.

* * *

**Here's another ridiculously short chapter for your enjoyment. I was going to include this with the other previous ridiculously short chapter, but I decided they flowed better in separate chapters. Also, it's currently 2 a.m. and I feel it's time for me to get to bed. Next chapter probably up tomorrow: Fenoglio starts writing, Dustfinger and Jane explore the village, and Basta and the rest catch up.**


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